recordings, just in case anything happens. ”
Daniel snorted. “ That man ’ s a slave driven Come out now for a breath of air and let ’ s walk around a bit. ”
“ I ’ d rather finish first, ” she objected. “ Daniel, you ’ re only delaying me. ”
“ How long will it take you to finish? ” he asked, planting a light kiss on the back of her neck.
She smiled weakly. “ About twenty minutes—if I ’ m not disturbed. ”
“ All right. I ’ ll sit quietly here and wait for you. ”
She drew in a long breath. Perhaps it was better that Daniel should enforce a discipline on her emotions so that she could not wallow in floods of self-pity.
She half imagined when she switched on the recorder again that Daniel would suspect Adam ’ s voice was the cause of her tears, but he said nothing at all. Or perhaps he did not recognize Adam ’ s voice.
When she had finished, Sarah clipped the sheets of typescript together, put away her typewriter and said. “ I ’ d better tell Edmund I ’ ve finished the job. ”
“ Don ’ t do that, ” advised Daniel, “ or he ’ ll find you something else to occupy you until the dawn. ”
She laughed, but reported to Edmund all the same. “ Thanks, Sarah. You ’ re a treasure. Have you seen Daniel anywhere? ”
“ Yes. He ’ s in the mini. ”
Edmund gave her an oblique glance. “ You look tired, Sarah. Don ’ t let Daniel keep you up half the night. You need all the sleep you can get. We ’ ve a rough day in front of us tomorrow. ”
Daniel was outside the minibus when she rejoined him. He linked his arm in hers and led her across the car park toward the river. He was unusually silent, but Sarah was busy with her own thoughts. Then suddenly he said, “ Sarah, if I were away somewhere, would you cry when you heard the sound of my voice? ”
“I ... I don ’ t know, ” she murmured, thankful that in the darkness he could not see her face. “ It might depend on what you were saying. ”
“ Then what was so heartrending about what Adam was saying? ” Daniel demanded.
“ Nothing. ” She realized that Daniel had far more perception than she had imagined, but the surprise of his attack put her at a disadvantage. “ I was typing out the interviews. ”
“ And crying over Adam, ” Daniel said harshly. “ Because you think you won ’ t meet him again. Personally, I ’ m only too pleased about that. He ’ s a bad influence on you, Sarah. ” Daniel had grasped both her arms and was holding her close to him. “ He ’ s the kind of man who ’ s so damned aloof that he has all the girls buzzing around him. Leave him to his steelworks and his charming Slav girl friend. ”
“ What makes you think I ’ m so interested in him? ” she asked, knowing that it was a weak question, but she felt the need to make some reply to Daniel ’ s reproof.
“ Interested? You ’ re downright infatuated with the man! ” Daniel ’ s stormy words hit her like a blow.
“ Oh, no, Daniel! That ’ s not— ”
“ Not true? You couldn ’ t deny it to me if you tried. Ever since he appeared on the scene you ’ ve been different. You ’ ve held me off at arm ’ s length and told me a dozen times that what I feel for you is only infatuation. Let me tell you it isn ’ t. I love you, Sarah, I love you! ”
Sarah was tempted to reply that since both of them were infatuated with the wrong person, Daniel must admit how hopeless the position was, but she remained silent.
“ Look at me, Sarah! ” he commanded. “ Why won ’ t you believe that I love you? What must I do to prove it? ”
“I’m sorry, Daniel. Perhaps I do believe. ” She sighed. “ But couldn ’ t you wait until—until we ’ re back in more normal circumstances? Here in Krasnograd everything is unreal. Many people feel that it ’ s only a miracle that they ’ re still alive. ”
“ But I ’ ve been telling you for weeks and weeks past how I feel about you, that I want to marry you,
Daniel snorted. “ That man ’ s a slave driven Come out now for a breath of air and let ’ s walk around a bit. ”
“ I ’ d rather finish first, ” she objected. “ Daniel, you ’ re only delaying me. ”
“ How long will it take you to finish? ” he asked, planting a light kiss on the back of her neck.
She smiled weakly. “ About twenty minutes—if I ’ m not disturbed. ”
“ All right. I ’ ll sit quietly here and wait for you. ”
She drew in a long breath. Perhaps it was better that Daniel should enforce a discipline on her emotions so that she could not wallow in floods of self-pity.
She half imagined when she switched on the recorder again that Daniel would suspect Adam ’ s voice was the cause of her tears, but he said nothing at all. Or perhaps he did not recognize Adam ’ s voice.
When she had finished, Sarah clipped the sheets of typescript together, put away her typewriter and said. “ I ’ d better tell Edmund I ’ ve finished the job. ”
“ Don ’ t do that, ” advised Daniel, “ or he ’ ll find you something else to occupy you until the dawn. ”
She laughed, but reported to Edmund all the same. “ Thanks, Sarah. You ’ re a treasure. Have you seen Daniel anywhere? ”
“ Yes. He ’ s in the mini. ”
Edmund gave her an oblique glance. “ You look tired, Sarah. Don ’ t let Daniel keep you up half the night. You need all the sleep you can get. We ’ ve a rough day in front of us tomorrow. ”
Daniel was outside the minibus when she rejoined him. He linked his arm in hers and led her across the car park toward the river. He was unusually silent, but Sarah was busy with her own thoughts. Then suddenly he said, “ Sarah, if I were away somewhere, would you cry when you heard the sound of my voice? ”
“I ... I don ’ t know, ” she murmured, thankful that in the darkness he could not see her face. “ It might depend on what you were saying. ”
“ Then what was so heartrending about what Adam was saying? ” Daniel demanded.
“ Nothing. ” She realized that Daniel had far more perception than she had imagined, but the surprise of his attack put her at a disadvantage. “ I was typing out the interviews. ”
“ And crying over Adam, ” Daniel said harshly. “ Because you think you won ’ t meet him again. Personally, I ’ m only too pleased about that. He ’ s a bad influence on you, Sarah. ” Daniel had grasped both her arms and was holding her close to him. “ He ’ s the kind of man who ’ s so damned aloof that he has all the girls buzzing around him. Leave him to his steelworks and his charming Slav girl friend. ”
“ What makes you think I ’ m so interested in him? ” she asked, knowing that it was a weak question, but she felt the need to make some reply to Daniel ’ s reproof.
“ Interested? You ’ re downright infatuated with the man! ” Daniel ’ s stormy words hit her like a blow.
“ Oh, no, Daniel! That ’ s not— ”
“ Not true? You couldn ’ t deny it to me if you tried. Ever since he appeared on the scene you ’ ve been different. You ’ ve held me off at arm ’ s length and told me a dozen times that what I feel for you is only infatuation. Let me tell you it isn ’ t. I love you, Sarah, I love you! ”
Sarah was tempted to reply that since both of them were infatuated with the wrong person, Daniel must admit how hopeless the position was, but she remained silent.
“ Look at me, Sarah! ” he commanded. “ Why won ’ t you believe that I love you? What must I do to prove it? ”
“I’m sorry, Daniel. Perhaps I do believe. ” She sighed. “ But couldn ’ t you wait until—until we ’ re back in more normal circumstances? Here in Krasnograd everything is unreal. Many people feel that it ’ s only a miracle that they ’ re still alive. ”
“ But I ’ ve been telling you for weeks and weeks past how I feel about you, that I want to marry you,
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